Railway-switch.



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.RAILWAY SWITCH.

17 Amon r1 WJTNESSES PATENTED PEB. 18, '1908.-

D. I. GRIFFITH.

RAILWAY SWITCH.

I APPLICATION FILED AUG. 13. 1907.

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DAVID I. GRIFFITH, OF FROSTBURG, MARYLAND.

RAILWAY-SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 18, 1908.

Application filed August 13. 1907. Serial No. 388,371.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID I. GRIFFITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Frostburg, in the county of Allegany, State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Switches; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The railroad switches and it aims to provide an exceedingly simple, durable, and edective mechanism of that nature.

To this end the invention consists in the particular construction, combination, and arrangement of parts all as hereinafter fully described specifically claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which like parts are designated by corresponding reference numerals, throughout the several views.

Of theV said drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a section of track with the improved switch closed, Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail section'taken on the line 2-2 thereof and showing the stop-rod which limits the movement of the switch rail. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of one of the spring-actuated toggles in its expanded positlon, Fig. 4 is a similar view of one of the toggles closed, or contracted.

Referring more articularly to the drawings, 7 designates t e main track, 8 the side track, or siding, and 9 and 10 the switch rails between whose deflected front ends 11 the usual frog 12 extends, said rails, being connected together by a pair of bolts 13, one of which is disposed adjacent the point of the 'frog and the other adjacent the outwardly curved extremities of the switch rails.

Disposed" between each switch rail and the adjacent track rails is a pair of oppositelyacting toggles 14 arranged transversely of the track towards the outwardly curved end of the switch rails, the members of each pair of toggles having their op osite ends connected together as indicated) by the numeral 15, said ends being fastenedto the adjacent switch and track rails, as shown. Between each pair of toggles is located an expansible coil-spring 16, which s rings thus force the to gles away from eaclh other to normally hoId the switch rails out of contact with the sides of the frog, the tension of both springs being equal.

present invention has reference to' faction of said spring is accom ished by j means of a pair of oppositelyisposed T- j shaped or double bell crank levers 17 one of which has a link connection with the del flected end of the switch rail 10, while the other has a similar connection with the diagonally opposite end of the switch rail 9, the levers being connected by means of wires, cables, or rods, maintained taut by a turnbuckle. One of the bell crank levers has an operating lever 20 connected thereto.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that when the switch operating lever is swung in one direction, the point end of the rail 9 will be withdrawn from contact with the adjacent track rail, while the deiiected end of the rail 10 will be simultaneously forced against the adjacent face of the frog, thus closing the switch, to permit an approaching train to continue upon the main track, the point end of the rail 10 Abeing forced into contact with the siding rail at the same time.

The movement of both rails will be reversed when the operating lever is moved in the opposite direction, whereupon the approaching train will be free to pass from the main track to the siding.

The outward movement of the switch rails which has its opposite end 22 bent upwardly and directed toward each other said rods being secured in any manner upon the upper face 'of the ties forwardly of the frog, the switch rails being movable across the upper faces of said rods, as shown in Fig. 2.

What is claimed, is,

1. The combination, with the main and side tracks and the frog formed by the meeting innerrails thereof, of a pair of movable connected together adjacent thereto, the ends of said rails opposite the frog being deflected; means disposed between each switch rail and the corresponding track rail for normally holding the deflected ends of the switch rails out of contact with the sides of the frog; rods mounted upon the ties beneath the switch rails and provided with upstanding ends adapted to contact with and rails under the action of said Erst-mentioned means, the switch rails being movable directly across the upper face of said' rods; and means for operating Vthe switch rails Movement of the switch rails a ainst the j is limited by a series of stop-rods 21, each of limit the outward movement of the switch switch rails converging towards the frog and simultaneously, to force the deflectedlendjof one switch rail into contact with the adj acent sides of the frog against the action of the first-mentioned means, and the diagonally opposite end of the other switch rail away from the adjacent track rail, to open or close the switch.

2. The combination, with the main and side tracks and the frog formed by the meeting inner rails thereof, of a pair of movable switch rails converging towards the frog and connected together adjacent thereto, the ends of said rails opposite the Jfrog being delected a pair of oppositely-acting springactuated toggles disposed between eachV switch rail and the corresponding track rail, said toggles having their opposite ends connected with said rails, for normally holding the deflected ends olf the switch rails out of contact with the sides of the Jrog and means for operating the switch rails simultaneously, to force the deflected end of one switch rail, a ainst the action of the corresponding pair ol' toggles, into contact with the adjacent side of the frog, and the diagonally opposite end of the other switch rail away from the adjacent track rail, to open or close the switch.

3. The combination, with the main and side tracks and a frog formed by the meeting inner rails thereof,l of a pair of movable l switch rails converging towards the frog and connected together adjacent thereto, the ends of said rails opposite the frog being deflected, a pair of oppositely-acting springactuated toggles disposed between each switch rail and the corresponding track rail, said toggles having their opposite ends connected' with said rails, for normally holding the deflected ends of the switch rail out of contact with the sides of the frog; rods mounted upon the ties beneath the switch rail and provided with upstanding ends adapted to contact with and limit the outward movement oi' the switch rails under A the action of said toggles, said switch rails being movable directly across the upper face of said rods; and means for operating the switch rails simultaneously, to torce the delected end of one switch rail, against the action of the corresponding pair of toggles, into contact with the adjacent side of the frog, and the diagonally opposite end of the other switch rail away from the adjacent track rail, to open or close the switch.

In testimony whereof, I aix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

. DAVID I. GRIFFITH.

Witnesses:

HENRY GARFIELD ROBERTS` JOHN W. DEvoRE. 

